The Indian men's team, alongside Oman and Malaysia, clinched the second spot with an impressive 1400 points each. Despite a valiant effort at the World Cup in Muscat, where they finished fifth, India's triumph at the Asian Championship solidified their position among the top contenders.
Oman, basking in the glory of a bronze medal on home turf in their maiden World Cup appearance, showcased their prowess on the international stage. Meanwhile, Malaysia's remarkable rise, highlighted by a runners-up finish at the World Cup, underscored their determination and improvement since the Asian Championships.
At the helm of the men's rankings stood the Netherlands, whose dominance was exemplified by their victory at the inaugural World Cup and the European Championships, earning them 1750 points.
In the women's division, the Netherlands once again reigned supreme, propelled by their gold medal triumphs at both the World Cup and the European Championships, securing a commanding 1750 points.
India, with their silver medal performance at the World Cup coupled with success at the Asian Championship, claimed the second spot with 1550 points.
Uruguay and South Africa emerged as dark horses, sharing the fourth position after an impressive display at the World Cup. Malaysia's sixth-place finish solidified their standing in the women's rankings, showcasing their growing stature in the sport.
While Harmanpreet Singh struck in the 7th and 28th minutes, Jugraj Singh (24') and Lalit Upadhyay (50') scored a goal each to help India seal a 4-1 win in their opening match of the season. Spanish captain Marc Miralles (34') was the lone goalscorer for the visitors.
Both teams were cautious in their approach, as they focused on maintaining their structure, with accurate passes in the midfield. It was India who came up with the first real attack as Hardik Singh made a stunning run from the right flank to draw the first penalty corner, which was duly converted by Harmanpreet with a fiery low drag-flick, making it 1-0 in the 7th minute.
Although Spain had better ball possession, India were disciplined in the defence. They did not allow the visitors to create spaces and ended the opening quarter with a narrow 1-0 lead. In their bid to score an equaliser, Spain started the second quarter brightly. They created a couple of goalscoring opportunities and also had a penalty corner, but Indian goalie PR Sreejesh stood tall to deny visitors from equalising.
India immediately responded as they had as many as three back-to-back penalty corners, with the third one being rewarded into a penalty stroke. Harmanpreet once again stepped up and slotted the ball home with ease, making it 2-0 for the hosts in the 20th minute. India rode on the momentum as they extended their lead through Jugraj's low drag-flick that went through Spanish goalie Luis Calzado's legs, making it 3-0 in the 24th minute.
With less than two minutes to go for the first half, Spain earned their second penalty corner of the match but missed out on converting it. They also made forays inside India's circle in the dying seconds, but the home side survived the danger, ending the first half with a comfortable 3-0 lead.
Spain upped their ante and started the third quarter aggressively. They piled pressure on the Indian defence, and a stick tackle by Gurjant Singh gave away a penalty stroke to the visitors in the 34th minute. Miralles made no mistake in pulling a goal back for Spain as he slotted the ball into the top right corner of the goal.
The latter phase of the third quarter saw some end-to-end action, with both teams looking for spaces inside each other's halves. India had their seventh penalty corner, but Jugraj's drag-flick was off target. Spain came out all guns blazing in the final quarter. They were relentless in their pursuit and made dangerous runs inside, but the Indian defence led by Sreejesh kept the visitors away from the goal.
India went on to add the fourth goal on the counter-attack. Sukhjeet orchestrated a fine run on the left, playing the ball to his teammate from the top of the circle. However, the deflection from Spanish defenders fell to Lalit, who was at the right place, at the right time, and hammered the ball into the nets through a reverse flick in the 50th minute. Spain, on the other hand, had a glorious opportunity to pull a goal back in the 56th minute but missed out on converting yet another penalty corner.
With less than two minutes to go for the final hooter, India were down to 10 men as Gurjant Singh was given the yellow card. Spain could make much of it as India ran down the clock to seal a comfortable 4-1 win.
India will take on the defending champions the Netherlands in their second match on Sunday.
With just two days to go for the much-awaited FIH Pro League, the women’s team of China, USA, Netherlands and Australia have arrived in Bhubaneswar and are undergoing their final preparations.
Sales of both online and offline tickets have also commenced and hockey fans are eagerly waiting to witness some great game of hockey and cheer for their favourite teams. Both Bhubaneswar and Rourkela which have emerged as hockey hubs of the State are engulfed in hockey fever. Effort is underway to ensure a memorable experience for teams and fans at both the venues. All aspects including infrastructure, safety, transport, accommodation, hospitality and the conduct of the event have been meticulously planned.
The mini-tournament will feature both the Indian women’s and men’s hockey teams. The women’s hockey team led by Savita, will be making their comeback to the FIH Pro League. They will take on the USA, Netherlands, China and Australia at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar between February 3 to 9 followed by their debut at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela between February 12-18.
The men’s team, on the other hand, will face Netherlands, Spain, Australia and Ireland in their home matches from February 10 to 16 in Bhubaneswar. They will then shift to Rourkela for their return fixtures taking place between February 19-25.
The squad will take the field in Ranchi with the aim to finish as one of the top three teams in the competition and secure qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
India have been placed in Pool B, along with New Zealand, Italy, and the United States. Meanwhile, Germany, Japan, Chile, and the Czech Republic will battle it out in Pool A. India will open their campaign against the United States on the January 13, followed by a match against New Zealand on the January 14, and they will go up against Italy in the last Pool B match on the January 16.
The Indian Women’s Hockey Team for the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers Ranchi 2024 comprises goalkeepers, Savita and Bichu Devi Kharibam. Meanwhile, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Chaudhary, and Monika have been named as defenders in the squad.
Nisha, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Neha, Navneet Kaur, Salima Tete, Sonika, Jyoti, and Beauty Dungdung will feature in the midfield. Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Deepika, and Vandana Katariya will lead the line as forwards.
Seasoned Indian custodian Savita, who recently won her third consecutive FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award, will once again be leading the squad. Meanwhile, veteran forward Vandana Katariya, who recently became the first-ever women player from India to complete 300 caps, has been named as Savita’s deputy for the all-important tournament.
Speaking on the team selection, Indian Women’s Hockey Team Chief Coach Janneke Schopman said, "The FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers Ranchi 2024 is an important tournament on our Paris 2024 Olympics journey. It is imperative that we live up to expectations and all the players in the squad are working to secure qualification. After careful consideration, we have chosen a well-balanced team with immense skill and experience in all departments. Also, Savita and Vandana have faced high-pressure situations numerous times in their career so far, they are well equipped to guide the rest of the team as the Captain and Vice Captain.”
The match started 50 minutes late because of issues with the floodlights.
India overcame the two-time champions through goals from Sangita Kumari (17th minute), Neha (46th), Laremsiami (57th) and Vandana Katariya (60th).
India won their maiden Asian Champions Trophy title in 2016 in Singapore, while Japan bagged the crown twice, in 2013 and 2021.
The Indians started on an attacking note while Japan preferred to sit back and rely on counter attacks.
India got a golden opportunity to take lead but Deepika failed to find the net from an one-on-one situation with Japanese goalkeeper Akio Tanaka.
The Indians continued to dominate the possession as Japan were busy in defending.
The Japanese too had their share of chances but they failed to breach the resolute Indian defence.
Two minutes into the second quarter, India took the lead through Sangita who scored with a high hit after being fed by Neha Goyal.
The Indians continued their relentless attacks on the Japanese goal but failed to get the finishing touch.
Japan found the net in the second quarter through Shiho Kobayakawa but the goal was disallowed after India asked for referral for a body contact when the ball was received.
The Japanese upped their ante in the second quarter with continuous attacks but the Indian defence stood tall.
In the 25th minute, Japan secured three back-to-back penalty corners but the Indians defended in numbers to deny their opponents.
It was a neck-and-neck fight between the two teams after the change of ends with both India and Japan pressing hard for goals.
But goals eluded them in the third quarter as the defence of both the sides were up to the task.
The Indians came out all guns blazing in the fourth quarter and pressed hard on the Japanese goal, and their efforts bore fruit.
A minute into the fourth quarter, India secured three consecutive penalty corners. Neha scored from Deep Grace's hit.
India continued to put pressure on the Japanese defence, which resulted in success when in the 57th minute Lalremsiami scored from a rebound after Udita's initial strike from a penalty corner was saved by the Japanese keeper.
Just before the final hooter, Vandana registered her name in the score sheet, scoring a fine field goal as the Indians recorded an emphatic victory.
Earlier in the day, Asian Games champions China beat South Korea 2-1 to secure the third place.
Yi Chen (3rd minute) and Tiantian Luo (47th) scored for the winners while Sujin An (38th) found the target for Korea.
On their return, the two hockey stars were accorded a warm welcome at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
Notably, the Indian Men’s Hockey team struck gold at the Asian Games while the women's team won the bronze medal.
Talking to reporters at the airport, Amit Rohidas said, “I am happy after securing gold at the Asian Games. It will be a big boost to our morale. I thank everybody for the encouragement. I will advise the young generation to work hard. God is there. The hard work will pay off one day.”
Deep Grace Ekka, who was visibly happy after her team won, said that winning the medal is a matter of happiness.
"However, we had a motive to qualify for the Olympics. I feel happy to receive such a grand welcome. Players will get inspiration from this success," said the star hockey player from the state.
As per government sources, Odia defender Amit Rohidas will also be given an additional Rs 1.5 crore for his role in the country’s historic gold at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Odisha-born Amit Rohidas scored in the semifinal victory over South Korea and did not disappoint during the gold-medal match as well. Amit Rohidas hails from Sundargarh in Odisha and was also a part of the Bronze Medal-winning contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
With an impressive track record with over 150 caps, Amit emerged as an integral cog in India’s campaign in Hangzhou, serving as the first rusher and displaying remarkable strategic acumen. His pivotal goal in the semi-final against Korea propelled the Indian team towards the final and the coveted gold medal, the Odisha government said in a statement.
“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced a cash award of Rs. 1.5 crores for defender-drag-flicker Amit Rohidas for his significant role in India’s historic Gold Medal triumph at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou,” the statement added.
Playing a brand of hockey that has led to its recent metamorphosis into a medal contender in world hockey, the Indian men's hockey team defeated defending champions Japan 5-1 to re-established its superiority in the continent by winning the gold medal in the Asian Games for the fourth time in 19 editions.
The bonus they gained for their consistent performance in the hockey competition in Hangzhou was a berth in next year's Paris Olympics as the Asian Games in a qualifying tournament for the Olympics.
On Friday, India defeated Japan 5-1 in the final, riding on a brace by skipper Harmanpreet Singh (32nd, 59th minutes), while Manpreet Singh (25th min), Amit Rohidas (36th min) and Abhishek (48th min) struck a goal each. Japan's lone consolation was scored by Seren Tanaka off an indirect penalty corner in the 51st minute.
This is India's fourth-ever gold medal in the Asian Games after 1966 in Bangkok, 1998 in Bangkok and 2014 in Incheon, India has also won nine silver medals and three bronze medals in the Asian Games so far.
India joined South Korea as the second-most successful team in Asian Games men's hockey with four gold medals each. Pakistan are the most successful with eight gold medals.
The first quarter had both teams struggling to improve themselves and Japan did well to counter the Indian forwards. India had a couple of chances including their first penalty corner but Japan's goalkeeper Tukumi Kitagawa blocked Harmanpreet's drag flick.
The second quarter looked like going the same way with the Indians looking for inspiration upfront, their attempts to breach the Japanese defence proving futile as the Japanese defended strongly in the final third.
The Tokyo Olympic Games bronze medallists, who are ranked fourth in the world, earned their second penalty corner in this period but could not capitalise.
But five minutes before the half-time hooter, India found some inspiration upfront and a good attack resulted in their first goal. Former skipper Manpreet Singh capitalised on a good attack and struck a powerful shot home to open the scoring for India.
After the change of ends, India earned three penalty corners back-to-back and off the third, Harmanpreet Singh slammed home a rebound to make it 2-0.
India continued to attack and with a full-capacity crowd mostly rooting for it, they earned another penalty corner in the 36th minute and this time Amit Rohidas blasted home a direct drag flick to make it 3-0.
Abhishek, who scored twice in India's 4-2 in the preliminary group stage in Hangzhou, scored India's fourth goal when he muscled his way into the shooting circle and took a blistering shot past the goalkeeper.
Japan, who earned their first penalty corner in the 51st minute, found the back of the net in and off a re-take Serene Tanaka deflected the ball into the goal to make it 1-4 for Japan.
India then added one more goal in the 59th minute with Harmanpreet Singh slamming home a drag flick to make it 5-1.
This is India's biggest win in the Asian Games men's hockey final.
India will face the winner of the second semifinal between Japan and China in the final of the tournament for a chance to win the Gold medal and secure a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Hardik Singh (5'), Mandeep Singh (11'), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (15'), Amit Rohidas (24'), and Abhishek (54') scored the goals for India to get the important win. Manjae Jung (17', 20', 42') scored a hat-trick for Korea.
The match started with India immediately entering deep inside Korea's half to test their defence. Hardik Singh (5') helped India get off the mark as he picked up a rebound inside the circle and hammered it into the nets. Korea tried to attack from the left flanks, but Nilakanta Sharma did well to chase down the Korean forward. Minutes later, India doubled their lead with a sensational team goal as a long ball into the circle was collected by Gurjant Singh and he passed it to Mandeep Singh (11'), who deflected it into the nets. Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (15') tapped the ball into the nets after picking up a rebound and India took a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Trailing by three goals, Korea started moving with urgency inside India's half and earned an early penalty corner. Manjae Jung (17') made the most of a variation in the set-piece and Korea pulled a goal back. Korea continued to test the Indian defence from the left flanks, and Manjae Jung (20') deflected the ball past the Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh as Korea further reduced the deficit. But Amit Rohidas (24') relieved the pressure on India, as he struck a powerful dragflick from a penalty corner to make it 4-2. India remained alert in defence to prevent any further attacks and reached halftime leading 4-2.
The second half started with India searching for an early goal as Mandeep Singh made a dangerous run only to be stopped in his tracks by the Korean defence. Hardik Singh showcased excellent stick work to break through the Korean defence and he managed to enter the circle. But Seunghoon Lee intercepted his pass towards Sukhjeet Singh. Korea earned a late penalty corner and Manjae Jung (42') scored again to complete his hat-trick and make it 3-4 for Korea. The cagey third quarter came to an end with India still in lead by a goal.
Still trailing by a goal, Korea began a brilliant move from the right baseline, but a dangerous high ball stopped the attack. Hardik Singh and Mandeep Singh tried to combine in the middle to build an attack, but Korea continued to press deep inside India's half. Abhishek (54') finally broke Korean resistance as he latched on to a loose ball inside the circle and struck a powerful tomahawk into the nets to extend India's lead to 5-3. Sanjay made crucial interceptions as Korea tried to trouble India's defence. India managed to hold off the opposition to win the match 5-3 and qualify for the Final.
Indian men's hockey team will compete in the final on Friday.
The drag-flicker converted penalty corners in the 39th, 40th and 42nd minutes to complete his hat-trick after opening his account with a goal in the 24th minute of the Pool A encounter at the GSP Hockey Stadium here.
In the match, Indian Men's Hockey Team forward Abhishek, who was named in the starting XI, also completed his 50 International Caps.
Mandeep Singh (12', 30', 51') also scored a hat-trick while Abhishek (51', 52'), and Varun Kumar (55', 55') scored a brace each. Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (16'), Gurjant Singh (22'), Vivek Sagar Prasad (23'), Manpreet Singh (37'), and Shamsher Singh (38'), scored a goal each for India, who led 6-0 at half-time. Zaki Zulkarnain (53') scored the lone consolation for Singapore.
In a testing first quarter, India could penetrate the Singapore defence but failed to find the opening goal. Attacking from left to right to start the match, skipper Harmanpreet made long passes inside the striking circle to test Singapore's defence. India's quick movements with the ball troubled the opposition, but Singapore defended in numbers to keep India at bay.
Singapore goalkeeper Gugan Sandran made a crucial save after Harmanpreet Singh struck a powerful hit on target from a penalty corner. Mandeep Singh (12') finally broke the deadlock after picking a pass from Gurjant Singh and pushing the ball into the nets to make it 1-0 for India at the end of the first quarter.
India doubled their lead straight into the second quarter, with Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (16') striking the ball into the nets, after receiving a sublime pass from Sukhjeet Singh.
The floodgates opened in the second quarter as India hammered three quick goals in three minutes. First, it was Gurjant Singh (22') who tapped the ball into the net after receiving a pass from Mandeep Singh. A minute later, Vivek Sagar Prasad (23') also deflected it into the nets with a soft touch, and then Harmanpreet Singh (24') opened up his goals tally, scoring from a Penalty Corner to make it 5-0.
A fantastic variation in the Penalty Corner allowed Mandeep Singh (30') to get his second goal of the match late in the quarter, and India went into halftime with a 6-0 lead.
India continued to put pressure at the start of the third quarter, playing deep in Singapore's half. Singapore mounted a dangerous attack of their own but were stopped in their tracks by Jarmanpreet Singh.
Manpreet Singh (37') made the most of another variation in the Penalty Corner rout, as he deflected the ball into the nets to make it 7-0 for India. A minute later, Shamsher Singh (38') made a powerful strike to extend India's lead to 8-0. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh (39', 40', 42') showcased his supreme form with the flicks as he converted three consecutive Penalty Corners to make it 11-0 for India to end the third quarter.
Singapore started pushing deep in their own half to prevent India from creating any more attacks in the final quarter. Dribbling past the Singaporean defence, Mandeep Singh (51') pushed the ball into the nets to complete his hat-trick and made it 12-0 for India.
Abhishek (51', 52') scored twice in two minutes, making the most of errors from Singapore defenders. A surprise counter-attack from Singapore led to Zaki Zulkarnain (53') scoring a goal for his team. Varun Kumar (55', 55') added his name to the scoresheet, scoring twice from Penalty Corners as India won the match 16-1.
This was the fourth clash between the two teams in the final of the Junior Asia Cup and the second successive after the Indians defeated Pakistan 6-2 in Kuantan, Malaysia to win the title in 2015. The event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
Both India and Pakistan have won the title thrice each since the event was started in 1988. They had played out a 1-1 draw in the league phase a few days back and had reached the final after beating their respective semifinal rivals.
On Thursday, early goals by Angad Bir Singh (13') and Araijeet Singh Hundal (20') ensured India remained in command of the game while some outstanding saves by goalkeeper Shashikumar Mohith Honnenahalli kept India in the lead throughout the match.
With this victory, India has created a new record of winning the maximum titles at the Men's Junior Asia Cup. The team had previously won the title in 2004, 2008 and 2015 while Pakistan has won the tournament in 1988, 1992, 1996.
Recognising the team's effort and their unbeaten record in the prestigious tournament which saw them qualify for the FIH Men's Junior World Cup in Malaysia, the Hockey India Executive Board announced a cash award of INR 2 lakh each for players and INR 1 lakh each for support staff.
Congratulating the team, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said, "The Indian Junior Men's team has made us all extremely proud with their unbeaten performance at the Junior Asia Cup. The team has shown great promise over the past few months, particularly after their historic win at the Sultan of Johor Cup they have become a dominate force and I believe this big win will hold them in good stead for the Junior World Cup later this year. Hockey India has decided to honour the players for this feat with a befitting cash award. I congratulate the team and the support staff for their efforts."
An elated Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh also wished the team on their successful campaign. "The team showcased great character and spirit of the game in every match. The team's continued success at the Junior Asia Cup is a testimony to Hockey India's national program for the U21. I congratulate the team and the support staff for keeping up the Indian team's record intact at the Junior Asia Cup."
Going into the final on the back of a stupendous 9-1 win against South Korea in the Semi-Final match, India rode on confidence to get off to a roaring start. They pushed Pakistan on the backfoot with early opportunities to score. They capitalized on their opponents' errors in the circle and punished them by converting the PC earned in the 13th minute. While it was Araijeet Singh Hundal who took a powerful shot on goal, Angad Bir Singh was quick on his feet to pick up the rebound and find a perfect deflection.
While the opening goal put India in command, a goal by Araijeet in the 20th minute helped in putting pressure on the Pakistani defence.
In the following quarter, the two teams lived up to the billing producing some tense moments that kept the full-house Salalah audience on their toes. Backed by a strong Pakistani fanbase, they were able to finally make a breakthrough in the 38th minute when Basharat Ali worked a brilliant field goal.
Though Pakistan found a number of opportunities to score through PCs in the last quarter, India custodian Shashikumar Mohith Honnenahalli made some sensational saves to keep India ahead.
It was a nail-biting finish, as Pakistan pushed for that elusive equaliser. But the spirited India Colts held their nerves to clinch the title in style and create history by clinching the fourth title in this prestigious competition.
"We wanted to win at any cost"
Speaking about the tense final, India captain Uttam Singh who was awarded the Player of the Match said, "After the 1-1 draw in the round robin stage, we were very aware of the areas we had to do well in order to beat Pakistan. It was quite a nervous Final. The team had never played in front of such a big crowd but I think created early goals helped us stay in control of the game."
Experienced India coach CR Kumar expressed that it was a good team effort. "It came down to executing our opportunities. Though I feel we could have scored a few more goals, when you are playing a big opponent like Pakistan there is a lot of pressure. But I am very happy with the way the players controlled their emotions and played to their potential."
Uttar Pradesh Hockey reached the final by defeating Hockey Haryana 7-0 while the Hockey Association of Odisha defeated Hockey Madhya Pradesh 3-1 in their semifinal.
In the first semifinal match, Uttar Pradesh Hockey got the better of Hockey Haryana thanks to goals from Ujjwal Pal (4', 34'), Ketan Kushwaha (14', 33'), and Rahul Rajbhar (38', 51'). Rahul Yadav (17') also scored to help his team keep the lead and win the game. It should be noted that Uttar Pradesh Hockey is undefeated in the tournament thus far.
"The team played according to the plan," said Uttar Pradesh Hockey manager and coach Vikas Pal of their successful performance in this tournament so far. "We are yet to play our best game. I am hoping we will show what we are capable of in the Final. We will look to create and convert more penalty corners in the Finals and hopefully, we will repeat our last year's feat."
Hockey Odisha defeated Hockey Madhya Pradesh 3-1 in the second semifinal. Deepak Pradhan (19', 57') scored twice for the Odisha Hockey Association. Pradip Mandal (9') also scored a goal for his team. Aashir Adil Khan (45') scored the lone goal for Hockey Madhya Pradesh in response.
Also on Sunday, Hockey Haryana take on Hockey Madhya Pradesh for the 3rd/4th place match.
Navneet Kaur (10') and Deep Grace Ekka (25') scored the goals for India while Abigail Wilson (22') scored the lone goal for Australia 'A'.
Having won the previous encounter 3-2, Australia 'A' started with confidence, maintaining possession early on. Gurjit Kaur remained alert in the defence for the Indian women's hockey team, not allowing the opposition entry inside the circle.
Earning three quick penalty corners, India put pressure on the Australia 'A' defence and Navneet Kaur (10') scored the first goal with a reverse hit to give India the lead.
The second quarter started with India continuing to build momentum from the backward line. But Australia 'A' managed to get a shot on target from a quick counter-attack, only for captain Savita to make the save. Australia 'A' earned their first penalty corner of the night midway into the second quarter, and Abigail Wilson (22') struck the back of the nets with a drag-flick to level the scoreline. But minutes later, Deep Grace Ekka (25') put India back in the lead with a drag flick of her own on a penalty corner.
With Vandana Katariya building an attack from the left flank at the start of the second half, India earned another quick penalty corner. But this time, the Australia 'A' defence managed to avert the danger.
Controlling the midfield, Neha Goyal set up penetrating runs for Indian attackers as Australia 'A' defence felt the pressure. India managed to maintain their 2-1 lead as the third quarter came to a close.
Vandana continued to put pressure on Australia 'A', at the start of the final quarter, with a dribbling run inside the circle. With 15 minutes left on the clock, both teams started showcasing urgency.
India earned a late penalty corner to create another chance to increase their lead. But the Australia 'A' defence managed to save the set-piece to keep themselves in the contest. India kept possession in the final few minutes to prevent Australia 'A' from creating an attacking opportunity and won the thrilling encounter 2-1.
Odisha government, which has been the official sponsor since 2018, has decided to continue with the sponsorship of the teams (both senior and junior) from 2023 to 2033. A sum of Rs 434.12 crores (excluding applicable taxes) will be released by Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd (OMC) to Hockey India during the period from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2033.
OMC had earlier entered into an agreement with Hockey India, after due government approval, for sponsorship of the Indian Hockey teams (men/women, senior and junior) for a period of 5 years from 2018 to 2023.
Based on a request from the President of Hockey India for an extension of the agreement, OMC had sought approval from the state government, which has been cleared by the Odisha cabinet.
It is pertinent to mention here that the men’s team had won a bronze medal after 41 years at the Tokyo Olympics while the women’s team had reached the semi-finals for the first time.
In the last five years, there has been some change in this. India’s performance at the Summer Olympics in 2020, while not ideal, received much adulation from the larger public. The gold-winning track and field athlete Neeraj Chopra was catapulted to a kind of fame that few non-cricket sportsperson can claim. In the meantime, the Indian field hockey team also received much support and attention from the general public after winning Bronze. This happened despite many structural difficulties that the hockey team faced.
Odisha has played an extremely significant role in drawing attention to hockey. In 2018, the state government decided to sponsor the Indian hockey men’s and women’s team. This was also the year when the 14th edition of the Hockey World Cup was held in Odisha. The cynicism was put to rest when the ceremony was inaugurated with the sort of pomp and splendour that has few rivals. Featuring the legendary AR Rahman, Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit, Odisha managed to organize a ceremony that was not only unique in the history of Indian hockey but in the history world hockey as well.
As Odisha braces to host the world cup again, the preparations are just as good, if not better. The city of Bhubaneswar is all decked up (for lack of a better word) with storytelling, music, art competitions, graffiti and dance in streets while beautiful wall paintings with diverse themes can be glimpsed on the city walls. Complementing hockey world cup are international food fests and music concerts featuring top artists of the country. All of these not only help in building a mood of celebration among the citizens but also help in elevating the significance of hockey world cup. In this, the Odisha government has succeeded as the seats in hockey world cup are already sold out for the most part.
There are important lessons here for other states. Every sport needs a dedicated fan-base to prosper. By sponsoring the hockey team, the Odisha government has paved the way for the people of the state to look at hockey as their own sport. Even though Odisha has always had excellent hockey players, the popularity of the sports as a whole is a relatively recent phenomenon for which the government deserves credit.
Similarly, we would be in a much better place if every state of India adopted a sport other than cricket with as much zeal as the Odisha government. The people of West Bengal, for instance, already have a love for football. Similarly, Tamil Nadu has a dedicated tennis fan-base while Haryana does well in Wrestling. Should the state governments resolve to further popularize these sports, it is absolutely possible that every state will become a dedicated hub for a specific sport.
Critics often point out that the priorities are misplaced. Shouldn’t we be focusing on, say, improving the state of education instead of engaging in elaborate pomp and show? This criticism is misplaced. Both are not exclusionary. Moreover, the celebration of a sport with such pomp and show will not only help the economy of the state but will also be looked at as the ideal place to invest in the future. Through its zeal, Odisha has shown the way for other states to follow. It has become a case-study for success, for lack of a better word. Whether other states follow or not depends largely now on the will.
The credit, however, shouldn’t go solely to the government. It is, after all, the people of Odisha who are most enthusiastic about the sports. The government is merely giving a structural form to the will of the people.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the author's own and have nothing to do with OTV's charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
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As per reports, the Odisha government claimed the stadium in Rourkela to be the world’s biggest.
On Thursday, CM Patnaik tweeted, “Birsa Munda Stadium, world’s biggest hockey stadium is now a reality in just 15 months… I am sure it will emerge as the best venue for field hockey in the world.”
Later in the day, during a press meet in Rourkela, BJP MLA Shankar Oram questioned Patnaik’s claims and asserted that considering the seating capacity, Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium is 4th globally.
“Today he (Naveen Patnaik) claimed it (stadium) to be number one in the world. It holds 4th rank with 20000-seating capacity. Chandigarh is placed above it with a 30000-seating capacity. Pakistan’s Lahore stadium has a capacity of 40000 seats. Even a stadium in Canada has around 35000 to 40000 seats. How it can become number one? I’m not able to get it on which grounds they are claiming it to be number one,” said Oram.
However, the breeding ground of Odisha Hockey, in fact, Indian hockey, Lulkidihi village under Sundargarh’s Balishankara block is still reeling without a decent playing ground for the budding players to hone their skills.
The village, which is home to the greats like Prabodh Tirkey, Ignesh Tirkey and Deep Grace Ekka, does not feature in the 17 Astro turfs planned by the Odisha government in Sundargarh district.
It is pertinent to mention here that Odisha government has plans to make 17 Astro turfs in 17 blocks of the district which produces the maximum number of hockey players in the State. In fact, the Balishankara block has two Astro turfs sanctioned including one at Saunamara village, the home of Hockey India President, Dilip Tirkey.
However, the locals of Lulukidihi rue that more youth play hockey in Lulkidihi and it has far greater potential to create world-class hockey players than anywhere else. Despite that, the village lacks a decent playing field, forget about an Astro turf.
Arun Sahu, a local hockey player said, “We all want to play hockey. But our village lacks even the basic amenities.”
Mukesh Gupta, a local said, “People can’t even afford hockey sticks here. Lulkidihi is neglected like anything. Despite so many great players emerging from this village, we do not have a playground here.”
Meanwhile, the youths in Lulkidihi continue to play with sticks arranged as goal posts and uneven fields which do not resemble as playing ground from any angle. However, with the World Cup around the corner, they have their goals set to jump over all the hurdles and be players like Ignesh and Prabodh Tirkey.
(Reported By Vijay Barua, OTV)
The craze for hockey at Rourkela and Bhubaneswar has to be seen to be believed. From early in the morning, hundreds of hockey fans were seen making beelines at ticket counters in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
In Bhubaneswar, a ticket counter has been set up at the police reserve ground near gate no-8 of Kalinga Stadium. Similarly, in Rourkela, counters have been opened at gate no-2 and 6 of Birsa Munda Stadium.
The selling of tickets started at 11 am.
“People from nearby areas have thronged the counters to have tickets. We have made all the arrangements like setting up of barricades at the counters,” said Rourkela SP Mukesh K Bhamoo.
It is learnt that tickets for January 13 and 14 are being sold at counters. And on these days, there will be no India match.
“When contacted, officials are saying tickets for India matches have been sold out and are hence not available. They are telling that tickets for January 13 and 14 matches are available. This has put paid to our excitement,” rued a Hockey lover at the counter in Bhubaneswar.
Hockey fans at the counters in Rourkela and Bhubaneswar expressed concern as they are in dark with respect to how many tickets are to be sold offline.
Notably, the tournament is all set to start from January 13 to 29, 2023.
(Reported by Niranjan Reddy from Bhubaneswar and Pawan Tiwari from Rourkela, OTV)
As per earlier reports, 28 years old Anand was found dead in his apartment under Infocity police limits on February 28. His body was recovered in a hanging state only after 10 days of his marriage. Anand’s father accused Lakra and another person of killing his son and lodged a police complaint.
However, the father of the deceased knocked on the doors of Orissa High Court after the inaction of the police.
A few days back, while hearing the petition filed by Anand’s father, HC slammed the Commissionerate Police and ordered to file the report within the next three months.
Following that, police summoned Lakra to appear for questioning in connection to the case based on the FIR of Anand’s father.
Moreover, the top court also ordered Bhubaneswar DCP to monitor the investigation of the case personally. Apart from that, the HC also barred the Inspector-in-Charge of Infocity Police Station from field posting and ordered to send him for training.
“As Anand and Lakra shared the apartment, he was summoned for questioning in connection to the case, for further investigation. We are questioning to collect information regarding their whereabouts and activities throughout the day of the incident,” informed Prakash Chandra Pal, Additional DCP, Commissionerate Police.
Further, Pal added, “We will further interrogate all other persons who came in contact with him (Anand), including the persons who helped him in shifting, travelled with him from Jharsuguda.”
Lakra was grilled by the police for around 3 hours in presence of ADCP, ACP, and IO.
Responding to the media questions, Lakra said, “Whatever the police asked me, I answered. I will cooperate in the probe and depose before police whenever they will call me.”
The Men's FIH Hockey World Cup-2023 will be organised from January 13 to 29 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
In order to ensure the smooth conduct of the much awaited event, Odisha Sports Secretary R. Vineel Krishna reviewed the preparations made for the grand celebration at the event venue on Saturday.
Odisha has always played the perfect host, set a benchmark and amazed the global sports audience with its spectacular hosting of the Hockey World Cup of 2018. The excitement has been building up in Cuttack for the upcoming World Cup.
The sports secretary emphasised that this time too all efforts should be oriented towards making this event exemplary. He has advised officials present to support and work closely with the hockey federation to ensure the city is prepared to welcome the World Cup event and that the spectators have a great experience.
To ensure a safe and incident free event, dedicated fire, security and health teams will be deployed days prior to the celebration. Traffic management and crowd control were discussed in detail.
To make the tournament memorable for both the participating teams and also common citizens, the state government is going to organise several mega sporting and cultural events across the state including the hosting cities of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey handed over the ticket to Patnaik for the opening day matches to be played at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on January 13 next day.
The World Cup will be organised from January 13 to 29 next year at the newly constructed Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Rourkela and Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
While 16 teams will participate in the prestigious world tournament, 24 matches will be played in Bhubaneswar and another 20 in Rourkela.
The online sale of tickets for the Hockey World Cup will commence soon, the official said.
Winner of the Silver Medal in the 1973 World Cup held in Amsterdam in Netherlands, and the Gold Medal in the 1975 World Cup held at Kuala Lumpur, the legendary VJ Philips recalls his memories from the years gone by.
In the 1970s, India was one of the powerhouses of field hockey, and one of the mainstays in the team VJ Philips recalls that the team was a very strong unit and there was very healthy competition for places.
Philips, who scored some very crucial goals in the 1975 World Cup, including a brace to kick start the campaign with a win against England, recalled studying opposition teams with great focus and working as close-knit group to achieve their goal.
Speaking further about the victorious campaign, Philips, who won Bronze in the 1972 Munich Olympics, said one of the highlights from the yesteryears was playing a world-class Pakistan team, especially since both sides knew each other quite well.
“Playing against Pakistan was a very good experience. All of them were world-class players. We had a very good forward line with players like Harcharan Singh, Ashok Kumar, BP Govinda and myself. They had also analysed our game, but we knew we would have run a lot and we had built that stamina and that helped us majorly in winning against them. It was not easy to beat Pakistan,” he added.
Ask the former attacker which out of three World Cups was his favourite, pat comes the reply, “1975. We had a very good side.”
Terming the 1975 World Cup win in Kuala Lumpur as a milestone moment for Indian hockey, Philips further added, “In 1973 also we had an excellent team. The German coach at that time said, "Give me this Indian team and I will win all the trophies possible. It was one of our fittest sides.”
Philips comes from a family of hockey players as both his brothers wore the India colours and won some of the biggest prizes in the game. “We have all the medals in our house, Olympics, Asian Games, World Cup and Commonwealth Games. We have contributed for the country and we are very happy that we could do that.”
Philips, who was considered as one of the best outside right players, recalled the campaign of 1975 and noted that the game against Argentina will always be close to him. “That is a very good memory for me. We were playing a team we should have won against easily and we didn’t. I’ll tell you why it is memorable, losing that game had an effect on our spirits as it went up before the next game. Whatever mistakes we had committed we rectified it against West Germany, and we also got some timely encouragement.”
While the match against Argentina was in the group stages, Philips recalled another incident before the final and touched upon the camaraderie in the team. “Another incident, before we went to play against Pakistan, the manager at the Hotel Hilton, asked me what would be the result, and I gave a thumbs up to say we will win for sure. But he returned a thumbs down gesture and he said no we would not win. After we won, he threw us a party and said, India has proven that they’re one of the best teams in the world.”
“We were like a family, the whole squad, we would go to a temple, a Masjid, a Gurudwara and pray to help us win, because we had only one thing in our minds. We have to win the World Cup, nothing else and we were fully concentrated on the task at hand.”
“Indian men’s hockey team can inspire juniors watching the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela”
A veteran of three World Cup tournaments and a bronze-winning Olympic Games, Philips wants the Indian Men’s Hockey Team to give their all when they step out in the national colours.
“There are 140 crore people watching you play and praying for you. The focus should be only on the game and the players should put in all their effort. All the players should be thinking on the same lines during the tournament and working hard. Everyone should remember they’re playing for India.”
"It's a great feeling, the moon feels nearer. Once you win the match, then you know what is what. I feel the team will do well and they should definitely aim for the podium. All the hockey players from the Indian fraternity are waiting and watching. We all want the team to do very well,” he expressed.
“Once they win, there is nothing like that, they have to play very well and concentrate on the game. The players should listen to the coaches and play as a team," he said.
An Arjuna awardee in 2000, and a winner of two silver medals at the Asian Games, Philips said the presence of the home support in the Indian men’s hockey team’s corner will give them a boost in energy.
“We will be playing on home soil in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela and around 50,000 people will come to encourage you, and that will give you additional energy to play well.”
“Every match is important and there are junior players who are watching too, they will see the current players and they will get inspired by watching the Indian men’s hockey team,” he signed off.
The 26-year-old, who has a knack for being at the right place at the right time, got the award for his goal-scoring ability, which has gone up a level this past year as multiple teams have found his penalty-corner drag flicks impossible to deal with.
His scoring record includes an incredible 18 goals from 16 games, with two hat-tricks, in the Pro League 2021/22. With those 18 goals, he ended the season as the top scorer for India and now holds the record for the most goals scored by a player in a single season of the Pro League.
Harmanpreet was also in terrific form at the Asian Champions Trophy Dhaka 2021, where he scored eight goals in six games, scoring in every single game as India finished on the podium. His performances were also crucial to the Indian team as it won silver at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Harmanpreet now becomes just the fourth player to win the Player of the Year award (men's category) in consecutive years, joining an elite list that includes Teun De Nooijer (Netherlands), Jamie Dwyer (Australia), and Arthur van Doren (Belgium).
Harmanpreet's total points tally stood at 29.4 points, followed by Thierry Brinkmann with 23.6 points and Tom Boon with 23.4 points.
Felice Albers of Netherlands has been named the FIH Players of the Year 2021/22 in the women's category.
At the age of 22, Felice's trophy cabinet is already filled to the brim. She has been a part of the Dutch team in their gold-winning campaigns in the Pro League (2019 and 2020/21), Euro Hockey Championship 2021, Tokyo Olympics, and the Women's World Cup 2022.
Felice broke into the Dutch national team in 2019, on the back of great performances at the junior level where she switched between midfield and attack. Since making her debut for the senior team, she has primarily played as an attacking midfielder, playing at the base of the attack and being involved in much of their offensive creativity. She also poses a serious goal-scoring threat to the opponents, scoring 16 goals in her 32 international appearances thus far.
Netherlands scored 42 goals in 16 games in the Pro League 2021/22, and 17 goals in six games at the Women's World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022, and Felice played a major role in their offensive output as the creator-in-chief of a stellar Dutch team that finished second in the Pro League and won a third consecutive gold medal at the World Cup.
With this win, she becomes the youngest winner of the FIH Player of the Year award (women's category) since Germany's Natascha Keller (1999) and the second youngest ever, since the inception of the awards in 1998. Her total points tally stood at 29.1 points, narrowly edging Maria Granatto (26.9 points), in one of the closest races of the FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2021-22. Agustina Gorzelany finished in the third place with 16.4 points.
The decision to name Singh, who led the Indian men's hockey team to a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, as the second flagbearer for the said occasion was arrived at after the IOA was intimated by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee that two flagbearers -- one male and one female -- must be named by each country for the opening ceremony.
The four-member committee, comprising IOA Acting President Anil Khanna, IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta, IOA Treasurer Anandeshwar Panday, and Team India Chef de Mission Rajesh Bhandari, that named Sindhu as the first flagbearer earlier on Wednesday was also in charge of selecting Manpreet Singh as a flag-bearer, the IOA said in a release. Usually, each national contingent is asked to name a flagbearer for the ceremonies.
The selection process followed for zeroing in on the male flagbearer was the same as naming the female flagbearer. The four-member committee had initially shortlisted Singh alongside boxer Amit Panghal and paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal before Khanna and Mehta chose Manpreet for the honour.
IOA Acting President Anil Khanna said, "Manpreet Singh ended Indian hockey's 41-year Olympic medal drought with a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He is one of the finest athletes to have ever represented India on the international stage. We are delighted to name him and Sindhu as the two flagbearers who will lead the Indian contingent out at the Parade of Nations on Thursday during the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games."
IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said, "As with the three female shortlisted athletes, their three male counterparts were all deserving candidates, but we decided that Singh be named a flagbearer with Sindhu because of the leadership he showed at Tokyo 2020, which played a part in our men's hockey team clinching a sensational bronze medal."
Bengaluru FC face former Premier League champions Leicester City FC's academy team while Kerala Blasters FC play Tottenham Hotspur in the opening round on Wednesday.
The inspirational Sunil Chhetri shared a special video message wishing the coach, Naushad Moosa and his wards all the best, advising the players to enjoy the experience.
"Moosa (bhai), lads, all the very best. I think it is a great opportunity for all of you. I am pretty sure you guys are going to do well. I know you are going to face some of the best youth teams in England. You have all our support. Just go out there and enjoy. All the best," said Chhetri, the third-highest active international goalscorer in the world.
The Next Generation Cup is part of Football Sports Development (FSDL) and Premier League's long-term partnership. Both the English and Indian leagues have been working together to holistically develop football in India.
Kerala Blasters FC's midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad also shared a message for the young yellow brigade. "Wishing all the very best to the Kerala Blasters youth team for the Premier League Next Gen Cup. Do well and enjoy your time in the UK. Come on boys," Sahal expressed.
Meanwhile, newly-appointed Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson also had words of motivation for the emerging players.
"Wishing the Under 23s all the best in the Premier League Next Generation Cup with the game they are involved in. I know you are playing Leicester City, one of my former clubs, which will be a fantastic experience for you. Make sure you go and enjoy yourself, and work hard representing the (Bengaluru FC) badge. Good luck to all of you," the Englishman.
Both Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters qualified for the international tournament by virtue of finishing top two in the inaugural Reliance Foundation Development League.
The Next Generation Cup, 2022 features eight teams - five Premier League academy teams along with two Indian clubs and one South African team.
Bengaluru FC are placed in 'Next Gen Midlands' Group A alongside Leicester City FC, Nottingham Forest and Stellenbosch FC. Kerala Blasters FC are in 'Next Gen London' Group B, featuring Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United FC and Crystal Palace FC.
Kerala Blasters FC's match against Tottenham Hotspur kicks off at 3:30 PM IST while Bengaluru FC against Leicester City FC will kick off at 9:30 PM IST.
Both matches will be streamed LIVE on Indian Super League's Facebook page and YouTube channel.
There are ample signs that the construction of the country's largest hockey stadium is in full swing.
Come January next year, the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Odisha's tribal-dominated Sundargarh district will be packed to the rafters during the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup.
As many as 20,000 supporters will be rooting for the Indian hockey team, which is riding high on the Tokyo Olympics success and will seek to not only better the quarterfinal finish in the 2018 edition in Bhubaneswar, but also win the showpiece event.
The work at the stadium on the outskirts of Rourkela city started in June last year and it is going on round the clock as officials battle to complete it within the deadline.
Normally, it takes around 18-24 months to build a stadium of this size.
"But, we designed and planned it in such a way so that we can save time in engineering and the conventional construction part," Sports Department infrastructure consultant Swagat Singh said.
The executing agency of the 200-crore stadium is the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Odisha and it has sublet the work to the Larsen and Toubro.
The 80-crore accommodation near the practice pitch is being done by another contractor and its deadline is October, the official said.
The 35-acre site includes the stadium and accommodation inside the 120-acre campus of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology.
"It's India's largest hockey stadium. We're also assuming it to be the world's biggest, but yet to get that confirmation from the FIH," he told a group of journalists at the site, 293 km northwest of capital Bhubaneswar.
Singh exuded confidence of finishing the work in time by August.
"Almost 50-60 per cent of the work has been completed," he told PTI.
The workforce size is around 400. The casting is done at night and preparatory work in the morning due to the searing heat for the past few weeks.
By the end of this month, the complete shell will be done. Once the skeleton structure is completed, the workers will start giving the finishing touch.
There are many USPs of this project, one of which is that it is a disabled-friendly stadium.
"In other stadiums, there are multiple floodlights, but we are integrating it within the building itself so that it won hamper the aesthetics," Singh said.
The colosseum-like structure is continuous, making it more functional in terms of viewing .
Singh highlighted that one will get a clear picture without any vision block no matter at what gallery or at which angle a spectator sits.
The field of play has a more run off area, the official said, expressing hope that it would host many World Cup matches, scheduling of which is yet to be done.
There will be some light projection and the facade has been designed in such a way that cultural aspects of the region can be integrated.
Wall arts and murals will also be there. It will be an amalgamation of culture and heritage, Singh said.
Just like the Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee in Los Angeles, the administration had planned to write Rourkela on the lush green and scenic Durgapur Hills, which overlooks and runs across one side of the stadium.
"But there are some technical and stability issues," Additional District Magistrate Subhankar Mohapatra said. "We're still trying tough."
Before the World Cup, the F d ration Internationale de Hockey (FIH) will certify whether it has complied to all the standards.
He informed that they are planning to hold for a Pro League in October-end that will act as a test event.
Post the World Cup, the government is mulling to convert the entire complex as an academy so that it remains a benchmark.
Sundargarh is regarded as the cradle of Indian hockey that has churned out that likes of Dilip Tirkey, Amit Rohidas and Birendra Lakra. From kids to the elderly, there's a lot of craze of the sport in the region.
That's why the state government wanted to have a footprint in the district because they wished to give it as a gift to the local population, Singh pointed out.
"Many kids here prefer to hold a hockey stick instead of a cricket bat."
Elvera, and her two sisters, Rita and Mae, were synonymous with women's hockey and played for Karnataka between 1960 and 1967, during which they won seven national titles with the three sisters at the helm.
Elvera was conferred with the Arjuna award in 1965 and played for India against Australia, Sri Lanka and Japan.
Condoling her demise, Gyanendro Ningombam, president, Hockey India said, "It is saddening to learn about the passing away of Elvera Britto. She was ahead of her times and achieved so much in women's hockey and continued to serve the sport as an administrator with the State. On behalf of Hockey India and the entire hockey fraternity, we would like to express our deepest condolences to her family."
According to the organisers, the objective behind organising such an unusual match between boys and girls is to do away with the gender barrier existing in the game.
It is common to see matches played between either male teams or female teams. But, a female team playing against a male team is rare. This was the reason why a large number of hockey lovers turned up at the Gaibira village ground on Friday.
The love for the game was quite evident from the way the spectators cheered their respective teams and the enthusiasm with which the female players played to outclass their counterparts. These players said they were happy to be part of such a different match.
“For the first time, we got an opportunity to play with girls. The experience we derived was excellent. Such matches should frequently be organised so that the gender barrier in the game can end,” said Ranjit Lakra.
Echoing the same feeling, a female player Sudipa Ba said, “The game we played at the Gaibira village offered us an opportunity to understand the game strategies with which our male counterparts play the game and how we can improve our skill.”
With the passage of time, many a thing has changed, be it on sports ground or in politics. But the glass ceiling still remains in many sectors. With an intention to break the ceiling, a few NGOs came forward and attempted to do something different. They said they will continue to organise such matches in the coming days as well.
According to senior hockey coach Rajendra Kujur, such an initiative will go a long way in strengthening gender equality. “The effort of the organisers is praiseworthy. It is also a step towards in women empowerment,” observed Kujur.
“If the gender barrier between boys and girls is to be abolished, such initiatives should be taken in families and in societies,” said Alma G Barla, an organiser.
The government is doing its bit to encourage female players. But the little effort made by the NGOs towards this goal was well appreciated.
Goalkeeping stalwart Savita will continue to lead the Indian women's hockey team while Deep Grace Ekka will be her deputy for the FIH Pro League double-header.
While the 22-member team list includes new faces in defender Mahima Choudhary and forward Aishwarya Rajesh Chavan, experienced striker Rani Rampal has been named in the probables after a long injury lay-off.
She has been out of action since the Tokyo Olympics last year where she led the team to a historic fourth-place finish.
The Indian team for the double-header features Rajani Etimarpu as the second goalkeeper, while Grace Ekka will be assisted in defence by Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Rashmita Minz and Suman Devi Thoudam.
While chief coach Janneke Schopman expressed her disappointment at England's inability to tour India for the Pro League, she was hopeful that some of the news faces will do well in the matches against the Dutch.
"It's great to be back on the field for our Pro League games against the Netherlands after the disappointment of England not being able to visit. With our juniors playing the Junior World Cup, we have the opportunity to use the depth of our core group and I am excited to potentially see some new faces on the field making their debut in these games.
"Rani has also worked hard to be back in contention and if this training week goes well, I hope we can play her in one of the games," said Schopman.
"Netherlands is a formidable opponent, they have shown last weekend against the USA that they score goals easily and play from a tight defence. We are looking to build on our own performance since our last games vs Germany and am excited to hopefully show our progress against a strong opponent," she added.
The Indian women's team is currently fourth on the Pro League table, having played six matches so far. They have won three matches and added a point with a shootout win as well. Netherlands, on the other hand, have won five out of the six matches they have played and have gained an extra point from a shootout win.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Savita (captain), Rajani Etimarpu; Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka, Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Rashmita Minz, Suman Devi Thoudam, Midfielders: Nisha, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Jyoti, Navjot Kaur, Monika, Namita Toppo, Sonika, Neha, Mahima Choudhary; Forwards: Aishwarya Rajesh Chavan, Navneet Kaur, Rajwinder Kaur, Rani, Mariana Kujur.
Standbys: Upasana Singh, Preeti Dubey, Vandana Katariya.
In her post in Odia language, Chand said that the State government is busy developing sports infrastructure spending by crores of rupees. However, on the other hand, it is neglecting sportspersons.
In her veiled attack on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, she said, in her post, that ‘he’ was dancing around with the Hockey India Team, without considering the fate of other sports. “There is crores of money for Hockey India team but nothing for athletes,” she said.
Though she deleted the post sometime after uploading, it stirred up a controversy by then.
Former captain of India Hockey team Dilip Tirkey took strong exceptions to Dutee’s post.
On his twitter handle, Olympian Tirkey embedded a snapshot of Dutee’s post, and said, “As a sports person I strongly condemn this kind of statement from another sportsman who herself belongs to Odisha. Odisha Government has always given importance to all sports be it Hockey or be it athletics.”
Mid-fielder Salima Tete has been named captain of the 20-member Indian team for the WC, starting in Potchefstroom, South Africa on April 1.
Defender Ishika Chadhary will serve as Tete's deputy for the tournament which was postponed from December last year to 2022 due to the omicron-threat in South Africa.
Mid-fielders Sharmila Devi, Lalremsiami, who were part of the Indian women's team that finished fourth in the Tokyo Olympics, are also in the squad.
The Indian team has been grouped in pool D along with Germany, Malaysia and Wales.
They will kick-start their campaign on April 2 with their first match against Wales followed by their game against Germany a day later on April 3 with their last group-stage match is scheduled for April 5 against Malaysia.
The quarterfinals will be held on April 8 whereas the semifinals are scheduled for April 10. The final will be played on April 12.
The squad consists of goalkeepers Bichu Devi Kharibam, who recently made her senior India debut at the FIH Hockey Pro League matches against Germany, and Khushboo.
The defenders include Marina Lalramnghaki, Preeti, Priyanka, Chaudhary and Akshata Abaso Dekhale, who also made her Senior India debut against Germany at the recently held Pro League matches in Bhubaneswar.
Reet, Ajmina Kujur, Baljeet Kaur and Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke will form the Indian midfield along with Tete, Sharmila and Lalremsiami.
The forwardline will feature Lalrindiki, Jiwan Kishori Toppo, Mumtaz Khan, Beauty Dungdung, Deepika and Sangita Kumari, who also made her senior debut recently.
Speaking about the team, Chief Coach Janneke Schopman said, "After a long wait our junior players are definitely ready to start their Junior World Cup experience. It was difficult to finalize the selection as all players showed a lot of progress in the past months which is great to see.
"With a couple of players making their debut for the Senior Team in the Pro League recently, I believe that the added experience will have a positive influence.
"The team overall has a nice mixture of different skills and talents and am excited to see them taking on the best teams in the world at U21 level," Schopman added.
The Indian junior women's team's best show in recent times was at the 2013 edition of the World Cup when it finished on the podium with a bronze medal beating nemesis England in a shootout.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Bichu Devi Kharibam, Khushboo
Defenders: Marina Lalramnghaki, Preeti, Priyanka, Ishika Chaudhary (Vice Captain), Akshata Abaso Dekhale
Midfielders: Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Salima Tete (Captain), Reet, Ajmina Kujur, Sharmila Devi, Lalremsiami, Baljeet Kaur
Forwards: Lalrindiki, Jiwan Kishori Toppo, Mumtaz Khan, Beauty Dungdung, Deepika, Sangita Kumari
Standbys: Madhuri Kindo, Neelam, Manju Chorsiya, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Annu.
(With PTI Inputs)
In a global fan vote conducted on TheWorldGames.org, Sreejesh finished well clear at the top of the 24-strong nomination list, with his tally of 1,27,647 votes being almost twice as many as the second-placed athlete, Spa'n's Sport Climbing ace Albert Ginés Lopez, who garnered 67,428 votes.
Sreejesh becomes the second hockey player to win the award, following in the footsteps of compatriot and India women's captain Rani, who took the 2019 prize, the FIH said in a release on Monday.
Speaking about the Award, the shot-stopper -- who was also voted as FIH Goalkeeper of the Year for 2021 -- said: "I'm very honoured to win this award. First of all, a big thank you to FIH for nominating me for this award, and secondly thanks to all the Indian hockey lovers around the world, who voted for me.
"By getting nominated I did my part, but the rest was done by the fans and hockey lovers. So, this award goes to them, and I think they deserve this award more than me. It's a big moment for Indian Hockey as well because everyone in the hockey community, all the hockey federations around the world voted for me, so it's great to see that support from the hockey family," Sreejesh, a veteran of 244 senior international matches, was quoted as saying by the FIH.
The three-time Olympian further added, "Also, I am a person who doesn't believe in individual awards, especially when you are part of a team. It's not only the team of 33 players, but you have a lot of people involved behind as well, there's coaching staff, there's support staff, there's a great association like Hockey India who is supporting you a lot, there's Sports Authority of India (SAI), who are providing you with all the world-class facilities to train, there's Odisha Government whose unwavering support helps the sport grow and flourish and there's India Olympic Association (IOA) as well, who're taking care of you really well. So, it's a collective effort of a nation to get this kind of recognition."
FIH Chief Executive Officer Thierry Weil said: "On behalf of the global hockey community, I'd like to wholeheartedly congratulate PR Sreejesh for this magnificent achievement. This is great recognition for him, for his team and for hockey as a whole. We also extend our sincerest thanks to all fans who voted for him. Athletes are the best ambassadors of our sport and India's goalkeeper certainly is a leader in this field too. We look forward to seeing him in action again in just a few days for the third edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League!"
Congratulating Sreejesh, Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam said, "On behalf of Hockey India, I congratulate Sreejesh for winning the prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 Award. This is a very proud and special moment for India as he became the only second Indian athlete to win this honour. I would like to thank FIH, the hockey community around the world, and of course, all his fans for supporting him and voting him to win this award. It's a big achievement for him as well as to Indian hockey."
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association with the support of the International Olympic Committee. The World Games are staged over a period of 11 days, with more than 30 sports in the programme.
Indoor Hockey was featured as an invitational sport at The World Games in 2005, which took place in Duisburg, Germany. Hockey will have a presence with sports demonstrations during The World Games 2022, which takes place in Birmingham, the USA between July 7-17, 2022.
The former mid-fielder was 90 and would have turned 91 next month. He is survived by two sons and one daughter.
Charanjit suffered a stroke five years back and was paralysed since then.
"Dad was paralysed after suffering a stroke five years back. He used to walk with a stick but since the last couple of months, his health deteriorated and this morning he left us," V P Singh told PTI.
Besides captaining the Olympic gold-winning team in 1964, he was also a part of the silver-winning side in the 1960 edition of the Games. He was also a part of the 1962 Asian Games silver-winning team.
"His last rites will be performed today after my sister reaches Una from Delhi," V P Singh said.
His wife passed away 12 years back. While his elder son is a doctor based in Canada, his younger son was next to him when he breathed his last. His only daughter is married and based in New Delhi.
His last rites will be performed this evening in Una.
India, who were the defending champions along with Pakistan in the last edition of the tournament in Muscat, will return with a consolation prize after having lost to Japan 3-5 in the semifinals on Tuesday.
India took the lead in the very first minute through vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh before Sumit (45th), Varun Kumar (53rd) and Akashdeep Singh (57th) struck a goal each.
Pakistan's goals were scored by Afraz (10th), Abdul Rana (33rd) and Ahmed Nadeem (57th).
It was India's second win over Pakistan in the tournament after having beaten the same opponents 3-1 in the round-robin stages.
Coming into the tournament as hot favourites and having topped the round-robin stage with an unbeaten record, the Indians would be disappointed to return with a bronze.
In the summit clash late on Wednesday, South Korea will play Japan.
Harmanpreet Singh (10th and 53rd minute) scored a brace, while Dilpreet Singh (23rd), Jaramnpreet Singh (34th), Sumit (46th) and Shamsher Singh (54th) also registered their names on the scoresheet for India at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium.
India, who have already sealed a semifinal berth, thus end the round-robin stage of the five-nation tournament at the top of the standings with 10 points ahead of Korea (6), Japan (5), Pakistan (2) and hosts Bangladesh (0).
This was India's third win on the trot. Held to a draw by Korea in their lung-opener, the Manpreet Singh-led side turned things around defeating Bangladesh 9-0, while also getting the better of arch-rivals Pakistan before easily overcoming the Japanese challenge.
The dominant victory will be a huge boost for India as they head into the business end of the tournament with lots of confidence. They completely outperformed Japan, the Asian Games gold medallists, in all departments.
Our Founding Fathers while framing the Constitution deliberated on the type of government India should have. It was noted that being a non-Parliamentary system, the Congress of the United States could not dismiss the Executive while in a Parliamentary system, and Government must resign the moment it lost the confidence of the majority of the members of Parliament. It was considered that a non- Parliamentary Executive being independent of Parliament tends to be less responsible to the Legislature, while a Parliamentary Executive being more dependent upon a majority in Parliament became more responsible. Under the non-Parliamentary system, the assessment of the responsibility of the Executive is periodic. It takes place once in four years in US by the Electorate. In England, the assessment of responsibility of the Executive is both daily and periodic. The Daily assessment of responsibility which is not available under the American system framers of the Constitution felt was far more effective than the periodic assessment and far more necessary in a country like India. Our Constitution adopted the Parliamentary system of Executive preferring more responsibility to more stability. Parliamentary system is the most basic structure of our Constitution.
The Leader of the House is a crucial player in the conduct of business in the legislature. He conducts meetings with leaders of various political parties to discuss with them the proposals and measures that the government is planning. He may request the members to offer suggestions so that he can give a final shape to the proposals of planned initiatives, before they are introduced in the House. He creates a feel-good ambiance in the House. In matters of urgency, he maintains liaison with other political parties and intervenes in discussion and restrains unusual behavior of Members. He is the most important link that smoothens the functioning of the Speaker. His presence of the House adds seriousness to deliberations and ensures attendance of maximum number of legislators in the House. His presence keeps the Ministers on alert.
If the Leader of the House becomes a habitual absentee from the House, the marginalisation of the House is complete. That is what unfortunately the state is witnessing now. Chief Minister has been keeping away from the Legislature for quite some time. In the best of times, his appearance on the floor of the House always added value to the system. But even then, in most cases, authorised Ministers replied to Questions addressed to him. It is strange that on many occasions, Questions addressed to him never come up for Answer because the Questioner remained absent. It is also being reported that the BSKY smart card distribution programmes by CM would be expedited with an aim to cover all districts before implementation of model code of conduct ahead of the panchayat polls. As per schedule, the Chief Minister is likely to launch smart cards in as many as 7 districts between December 12 and 15.
A brief mention of what happened during the current Session of the Assembly would help appreciate the extent of dent parliamentary system has suffered. Opposition refused to take part in the debate on the adjournment motion on the probe into the Mamita Meher murder case. Some legislators chose to do a ‘parikrama’ of the Assembly. BJP members beat gongs and cymbals as “an effort” to wake the sleeping Chief Minister and the Leader of the House. MLAs sprinkled holy water to purify the Assembly. The Speaker found the situation slipping out of hand. There were apprehensions that the Session would be cut short abruptly, and it eventually became true when Speaker adjourned the Assembly sine die on Friday, 20 days before its scheduled end on December 31.
Assembly sessions are getting shorter too frequently and has become a pattern by now. Sample this. The winter session in November 2020 scheduled to continue till end of December was abruptly adjourned sine die soon after the passage of the Appropriation Bill. The session lasted only for 10 days. Odisha Legislative Assembly should sit for a minimum of 60 days in a calendar year; however, since the present Chief Minister assumed office in 2000, the state legislature met for the mandatory 60 days only in three years-- 2006, 2010 and 2012. This situation, however, is not special to Naveen Patnaik regime. During previous regimes too, the legislature met for less than 60 days in many years. In fact, the 60-day stipulation was achieved only in nine years prior to 2000. The strength of Parliamentary system lies in its ability to ensure accountability of the executive on day-to-day basis. The shorter the duration the more remote is the accountability. Belief in Parliamentary system gets reflected in health and long sessions of legislature. While lack of Business is the justification given for shortening sessions, champions of Parliamentary system would welcome legislature having long sessions and meeting for critical business, like Question Hour, Zero Hour, Adjournment Motions, Special Mentions even if there is no legislative business to transact. Brief sessions provide scant time for discussion on Bills as well.
The present Government enjoys an overwhelming majority in the House. It is headed by a leader who is perceived to be popular. These advantages should have been leveraged to enrich parliamentary system rather than weaking it. Unfortunately, the state is witnessing wilting of the Legislature, the Temple of Democracy and the process is being hastened by the Chief Minister not attending the Assembly. This in effect is unfortunately compromising the basic structure of the Constitution. The Executive here, like the Executive in United States is focused on winning Election at the end of the term instead of proving daily accountability in the legislature of which it is a part. Does it not amount to distancing away from Parliamentary system which our Constitution stipulates?
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. The author can be reached at lonewalker.1942@gmail.com)
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Gurjit gave India the lead in the second minute after an infringement by Thailand in their defensive third prompted the referee to award a penalty stroke. Gurjit, who scored four goals at the Tokyo Olympic Games, smartly put the ball into the back of the nets to give India a 1-0 lead.
The early goal put Thailand on the back foot, and Vandana Katariya, the only Indian women's player to score a hat-trick at the Olympics, slammed the second goal five minutes later.
By the time the first quarter was over, Lilima Minz had added another field goal in the 14th minute, while Gurjit Kaur and Jyoti scored two more from penalty corners in the 14th and 15th minute, giving India a 5-0 lead.
The second quarter started much the same way as India kept most of the possession, giving no room to Thailand to cause any danger. Within the first minute of the second quarter, Rajwinder Kaur, who made her international debut on Sunday, scored a field goal in the 16th minute, and in the 24th minute, Gurjit scored her third goal and Lilima scored another from a PC, also in the 24th minute.
The Indian team demolished the Thai defence as they struck another PC in the 25th minute through Gurjit, thus giving India a 9-0 lead at the end of the second quarter.
Returning from the 10-minute half-time break, India dominated by continuing to make threatening circle penetrations from the left flank. But Thailand dug in deep and defended well for the first six minutes in the third quarter. But Jyoti broke the threshold, scoring another field goal in the 36th minute to exceed India's lead by 10 goals
A defensive error four minutes later from Thailand gave India another PC, but this time Gurjit's powerful flick was deflected by the opposition. A well-constructed move from the middle late in the 43rd minute caught Thailand's defence napping as Sonika struck in her first goal in the match.
The fourth quarter, which was a mere formality by the time it started, saw Navneet Kaur threatening Thailand's defence with deep runs from the right flank. But Thailand's defence managed to keep the danger at bay, preventing any further damage to the scoreline.
In the 55th minute, Monika managed to get her stick on a long pass inside the circle, as she deflected the ball into the back of the nets to exceed India's lead by another goal. Three minutes later, Gurjit Kaur scored her fifth goal from a late penalty corner, adding in the 13th goal for India.
This was the India team's first match since the historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. In the absence of captain Rani Rampal, who has been rested from the tournament, India is being led by veteran goalkeeper Savita.
India's match against Malaysia, scheduled for December 6, will not take place due to Covid-related issues, Asian Hockey Federation said.
India will next play hosts Korea on December 8.
The hosts’ quest for a second consecutive Junior World Cup title ended after they suffered a 2-4 defeat against six-time winners Germany in the second semifinal match on Friday.
While Germany will meet Argentina in the summit clash, the Indians will get an opportunity to avenge their 4-5 loss to France in their tournament opener. But to finish on the podium, the Indian juniors will have to lift their game by few notches and make amends of their sloppy show against Germany.
The India colts, who last won the Junior World Cup title in Lucknow in 2016, looked a pale shadow of themselves against Germany. They played defensive hockey from the start and lacked consistency. Lack of aggressive instinct by the Indian team would certainly bother chief coach Graham Reid, who is in charge of the junior team in this tournament after having guided the senior side to a historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Against Belgium in the quarterfinals, the team’s defence was extraordinary but the same backline was caught napping by the Germans. The likes of Yashdeep Siwach, vice-captain Sanjay Kumar, Shardanand Tiwari and Abhishek Lakra failed to control Germany’s fast paced game. The hosts would be looking for a much-better outing in the play-off match to clinch at least a consolation third place finish.
Reid had no qualms in admitting that his wards lacked in every department of the game against Germany.
“If you have to win at the world stage, basics have to be flawless. We created opportunities but they weren’t quality ones. We have to come out on Sunday with all guns blazing and avenge that first game loss against France,” Reid said.
There was no cohesion between the midfield and forward line in the match against Germany. With four quality penalty corner specialists in the side in Sanjay, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Tiwai and Lakra, India’s weapon is set pieces but they secured just one against Germany which Sanjay couldn’t capitalise.
The Indian players looked to be short of ideas and were searching desperately for pace when the ball was in their possession. Instead of trying to earn penalty corners, the Indian players were guilty of holding on to the ball too long and dribbling too much inside the opponent’s circle.
As per the coach, decision making from the Indian players has to be spot on against France if they desire to finish on the podium.
“Smart players make better decisions at the right time. Our decision making wasn’t that good against Germany. Our decision wasn’t also up to the mark at the midfield as well. At the end of the day that’s what gives you outcomes is the ability to make good decisions inside the circle,” Reid said.
With the forecast of heavy showers and high winds on Sunday due to the landfall of cyclone ‘Jawad’ near Puri, ground conditions are expected to be tough on the final day of the grand event.
Miles Bukkens was the star of the match for the Oranges scoring as many as five goals (13th, 16th, 36th,58th and 60th minutes) including a hat-trick. Casper Van Der Veen also scored another hat-trick by scoring in the 18th, 26th and 53rd minutes respectively. Other goal scorers for the winning team were Sheldon Schouten (10th), Olivier Hortensius (24th), Brent Van Bijnen (35th, 49th) and Silas Lageman (41st).
For Korea, Seong Jun Jeong (7th, 14th, 48th) also struck a hat-trick. Ho Seung Yoo (41st) and Hyunwoo Kim (19th) scored one goal each, but these were not enough to pose any challenge to the mighty opponents.
Though Korea players started well in the first quarter by scoring two goals in quick succession, they lost momentum thereafter and never came back into the match. They showed some promise in the last two quarters in patches, but it was inconsistent.
“It was a great learning curve for us. We will try to improve our performance in our next matches,” said Korean coach Jongyi Kim.
On the other hand, Netherlands captain Silas Lageman said they didn’t consider Korea as a weaker opponent and were well prepared for the match.
“We are pretty much satisfied with our penalty conversion on today. We want to carry forward the momentum in the tournament. Reaching the final will be a realistic target for us,” said Lageman.
This is the biggest margin of victory in the Junior Hockey World Cup. The previous best was hosts India's 13-0 win against Singapore back in 1982.
Of the deluge of goals, while six came off penalty corners, two were of penalty strokes. The Argentines scored three goals in the first quarter and seven in the fourth.
Argentina, who had emerged champions in 2005, set the ball rolling with Zarate scoring their opening goal as early as in the third minute of the match off a penalty corner. The agile striker added two more goals to his tally in the 47th and 58th minutes by converting two penalty strokes to complete his splendid hat-trick against the African minnows.
Domene scored his first goal in the 12th minute, the team's third, and then added his second in the 58th minute off penalty corner while Capurro pierced the net in the 12th minute and 44th minute, respectively.
The remaining goals were shared between Francisco Ruiz (10th min), Franco Agostini (25th min), Ignacio Nardolillo (39th min), Mendez Lucio (46th min), Joaquin Kruger (47th min), Stellato Bruno (48th min) and Joaquin Toscani (51st min).
The big difference of victory will bolster Argentina’s confidence ahead of their important clash against mighty Germany and dark horse Pakistan in other Group D clashes. The healthy goal of difference will also keep Argentina in good stead for their elevation to the next stage.
Much to the excitement of the die-hard hockey fans of Odisha, the USA team will be represented by former Indian senior and junior team coach Harendra Singh and as many as five Indian-origin players Jatin Sharma, Mehtab Grewak, Gurcharan Johal, Amrinderpal Singh, and Shomik Chakraborty.
It must be mentioned here that under Harendra’s guidance, Indian colts won the 2016 Hockey World Cup. He was roped in by America as their chief coach earlier this year. The USA team management wants to cash in on his rich firsthand experience in Indian conditions and perform splendidly.
“It is an amazing experience to be part of the tournament. It was like a dream come true for all of us to get the opportunity to play in the tournament,” said US team player Jatin Sharma.
Sharma's father used to play hockey in India and then moved to US where he began coaching teams in California. His son picked up the sport subsequently and made it to the USA National team under his tutelage.
The other Indian-origin players hail from Washington DC, Arizona, and other towns in California. Shomik Chakraborty and Jatin Sharma have already featured for the Men's Senior team.
However, the entire World Cup campaign of USA has been funded through personal donations and fundraisers. The reason for this is that field or turf hockey is not that popular in America, unlike ice hockey.
“The field hockey does not get the attention and necessary funding required for it to progress. The senior team gets considerable funding but junior players have to rely on their families and donors to sustain foreign trips for tournaments,” said Chakraborty.
Five Indian players and the head coaches of both the men's and women's teams in Tokyo claimed the top honours across different categories after fetching the maximum votes. The men's hockey team had won a bronze, its first in 41 years, in the Tokyo Olympics, while the women's side had finished an unprecedented fourth in the showpiece.
Harmanpreet Singh won the men's 'Player of the Year' award and Gurjit Kaur was recognised as the best player in the women's section. Veteran P R Sreejesh and Savita Punia won the best goalkeeper awards in the men's and women's section, while young striker Sharmila Devi (women) and Vivek Sagar Prasad (men) were adjudged best rising stars.
The drag-click duo of Harmanpreet and Gurjit were the top-scorers in their respective team's stellar run at the Games.
Men's team coach Graham Reid and women's coach Sjoerd Marijne were also voted the best. While Reid is still with the team, Marijne's tenure ended after the Tokyo Games.
Hockey Belgium reacted sharply to the announcement of the winners and questioned the process as none of their Tokyo Games champions managed to win an award.
"Hockey Belgium is very disappointed with the outcome of @FIH_Hockey Star Awards. A gold winning team with multiple nominees in all categories but doesn't win a single award demonstrates failure of the voting system. We will work with FIH to ensure a fairer system in the future," it tweeted.
The sentiment was shared by the team's official handle as well.
"We fully agree! This is not normal! The credibility and image of our sport is once again facing hard times. It's a pitty (sic) @FIH," stated the Red Lions.
Votes from National Associations -- represented by their respective national captains and coaches -- accounted for 50 per cent of the overall result, while fans and players (25 per cent) as well as media (25 per cent) made the other half of the votes.
In all, 79 National Associations voted (Africa: 11 out of 25 Member Associations; Asia: 29 out of 33; Europe: 19 out of 42; Oceania: 3 out of 8; Pan America: 17 out of 30), said a statement from FIH.
"And with a record number of almost 300,000 fans casting their votes, fan participation in the FIH Hockey Stars Awards has been exceptional," it added.
The nominations from Belgium (men) and the Netherlands (women), who were not only crowned Olympic Champions but also won the 2020-21 FIH Hockey Pro League, finished behind the Indians once the votes were counted.
Belgium duo of Alexander Hendrickx and Arthur van Doren were voted second and third best players respectively among men, with Vincent Vanasch (Belgium) named second-best goalkeeper and Shane McLeod of New Zealand second best coach.
Among women, Eva de Goede and Frederique Matla of the Netherlands clinched the respective second and third places in the Player of the Year awards while Alyson Annan of Australia finished second for the FIH Coach of the Year Award.
Great Britain goalkeeper Maddie Hinch, rising star Fiona Crackles and coach Mark Hager of Australia all were third in their respective categories.
With the FIH Hockey Stars Awards skipped in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic on the international calendar, this year's awards covered the period from January 2020 through to the conclusion of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the FIH said.
"The voting process started on 23 August and concluded on 15 September 2021. Votes from National Associations - represented by their respective national captains and coaches - counted for 50 pe cent of the overall result, while fans and players (25 per cent) as well as media (25 per cent) made the other half of the votes," it added.
Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam congratulated the winners.
"This is a great moment for Indian hockey as all our Indian nominees for the FIH Stars Awards have been announced winners.
"After the historic performances in Tokyo by both Indian Men and Women's Hockey teams, the support from Indian fans from across the globe has been overwhelming," he said.